Turkey's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar (C) with the Turkish army's top commanders in an operation room at the army headquarters, Ankara,
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Saturday that Turkey will eradicate terrorism at its source, adding that the country has no interest in other countries' lands.
The minister met with representatives of the press in Ankara at the annual assessment meeting. Expressing that Turkey is working intensively in its region and in critical geographies, Akar, aware of the country's geopolitical and geostrategic importance, said that it is working to maintain its national security and foster peaceful relations with its neighbors and allies.
Turkey entered the new year with increased motivation, Akar stressed, adding that it has adopted the method of ending terrorism at the source in accordance with the new security concept, and in doing so, has no eye on other countries’ territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Since July 24, 2015 up until today, 33,275 terrorists have been "neutralized," whereas this number from Jan. 1, 2021 on is 2,795, Akar noted.
"Turkey has torn apart the terror corridor that was intended to be created in Syria, and the terrorists have been buried in the pit they dug," Akar said, adding that more than 1 million Syrians have voluntarily returned to terror-free areas to date. Stating that Turkey has mobilized all the capacities at its disposal to normalize the lives of Syrians, Akar noted that Turkey is in constant contact with its Russian counterparts regarding the regime and Russian airstrikes and that it has made necessary warnings in a timely manner.
Akar said that it was observed that the ceasefire has been largely complied with in Syria, especially after the meeting between President Erdoğan and his counterpart Putin on Sept. 30, 2021.
Akar noted that Turkey cannot bear the burden of a new wave of migration that would occur with regime attacks, stressing that the continuation of the ceasefire and stability is very important until the creation of the Syrian Constitution. Akar went on to say that the Turkish Armed Forces have responded and will respond in kind to harassment from areas controlled by the PKK-YPG.
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